


Whither thou goest

by Lexigent



Category: Henry IV - Shakespeare
Genre: F/M, M/M, Magic, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 07:52:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19224868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexigent/pseuds/Lexigent
Summary: A soulbond manifests between Hal and Hotspur at the battle of Shrewsbury, meaning they can't be more than a mile apart.This is, to put it midly, annoying.





	Whither thou goest

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ConvenientAlias](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConvenientAlias/gifts).



It wasn't supposed to go like this.  
The battle, Hal had known, was supposed to leave only one of them alive. He'd brushed up on his defensive spells the night before, and consequently was but tired and wired on the morning of the battle. Ned tried to steady him and Hal's heart hurt at the earnestness there.  
He had always been going to discard Ned eventually, but Ned had caught Feelings and it was showing badly.

He closed his eyes, summoned a protective shield around himself, and headed into battle.

A lot of bloodshed later, he was finally confronted with the man he had thought about so much. Hal towered over Hotspur, whose small frame belied the powers he could summon, if the reports of him were to be believed. Hal's heart swelled in his chest. He looked on Hotspur the way one looks at a majestic predator - you can't help admire the power, but at the same time, you have to fight the urge to run away.

"Well, this is it," he said. Hotspur was silent, his face earnest, and Hal had to fight the first offense quickly - he'd been too distracted by the other's presence to see it coming.

Hotspur's magic was all sharp edges and precisely aimed shots, but the bursts of energy came fast and Hal made his shield stronger in the hope that Hotspur would tire himself out before long.

Finally, they came face to face, with Hotspur's shots now unfocused and lacking the energey of his previous shots, and Hal'S hands shaking, his shield faltering.

He threw the last of his energy into a defensive against Hotspur's chest and hoped for the best, closing his eyes as he did so.

The next thing he knew, an overpowering feeling blossomed in his chest and he was enveloped by... desire, an overpowering love, the need to be close to - 

It couldn't be. Hal opened his eyes to see Hotspur advance and embrace him before he could struggle. His hands lost in Hotspur's hair, his body revolting against the contact and yet needing it.

"I don't know what happened either," he heard Hotspur growl into his ear.

None could say who moved first, and none could say whose lips broke the kiss first and recoiled in horror and disgust.

"Magic accident," Hal said. "It'll clear up in a minute." It wasn't like he hadn't had plenty of accidents while practicing. Things always cleared up. He was tired. He tried to turn around and walk away, but found that after about ten paces, his feet wouldn't move any further.

"Move," he shouted at Hotspur. "The only way we're ever getting away from this place is together." And when Hotspur looked at him blankly and made no move, "I don't like this any more than you do."

Hotspur moved reluctantly. Hal let him come close, walked beside him. THey might be bound by some weird magic but he wasn't going to let someone who was still armed to the teeth walk behind him.

***

The thing didn't clear up. It had been three months now and there were no signs of it getting weaker. 

As far as they had been able to work out, the longest distance they could be apart was around a mile. Any further than that and whatever bond it was that had been created between them would pull them back towards the other. Horses they rode would stop in their tracks. If they were on foot, they'd be physically unable to take the next step.

This was, to put it mildly, annoying. 

What was even more annoying was everything else that came with it that made Hal not WANT to leave Hotspur's side in the first place. He'd tried all kinds of magic on it, but it was impossible to either break the bond or figure out how it was constructed in the first place. After a while, he figured he might as well make the most of the situation, since it wasn't going to change any time soon. *** It happened when they were sparring, as they did now that they'd worked out where they were going to live and what they were going to do while they figured out the weird magic thing. They were both tired and Hal's shields were down, and the next thing he knew Hotspur had kicked his side, then when he groaned, lifted him up bodily, pressed against him, and kissed him flat on the lips. "I've been wanting to do that since the battle of Shrewsbury," he growled, and Hal found himself unable - and unwilling - to resist. They dropped bits of armour left and right, then Hal pulled Hotspur into one of the castle doors and into one of the rooms, with just enough sense left to lock the door behind them. Hal's experience with men as well as women wasn't exactly limited, but he still found himself surprised at the ferociousness of Hotspur's desire. Ned had never clawed at his shirt like that, and Doll Tearsheet had certainly never had the urge to leave bite marks all over him. Hal couldn't say he minded, exactly, but that it had to happen with this particular person was less than ideal. He came to his senses afterward, as much as he ever could come to his senses these days, and wasn't sure whether he wanted to change the situation more or less if this was going to happen regularly. *** Hotspur had been less than impressed when the magic accident had effectively bound him to Hal, but he figured he might make the most of the prince while he was here. After the first incident on the sparring field, more followed, and a solution to the situation not being imminent, Hotspur was content to indulge himself, all the while studying and training in magic in the hope of finally breaking free. *** "There is a thing I found in one of the magic books that might work," Hal said one night as they were sitting together after dinner. "It might work." Hotspur looked at him, daring him to go on. "There's a risk however. And it involves... transformation." "Transformation of what?" "Basically, you're going to be a dog." "A dog? And why me and not you?" Hal sighed. "Because I found the spell." "Doesn't mean you'll be any good at it. If we're going by what happened last time, who knows what could happen." "The idea is because this... band... is between our souls, you become a soul-less thing for a little while, and the bond is broken." "And who guarantees I'm not going to be a dog forever? It would be pretty useful to you, wouldn't it?" "Look, do you want us to keep going as we are until we're both old and grey, or do you want to try to solve this?" Hotspur relented. "Fine." ***

The thing worked and the bond was broken. The problem was, after the bond was broken, they both found they wanted to keep doing what they had been doing.

Which involved both travelling and secrecy, neither of which they were very keen on. Hal was also rubbish at the secrecy thing and managed to get himself discovered the first chance he'd had to travel and see the Percys.

Which is to say, Kate Percy found him and her husband in the act - of kissing with the usual mix of desire and revulsion, that is - but instead of shocked horror, she'd merely smiled, left them to it, and gone into the other room, and Hotspur had found her rather more passionate than usual in the days afterwards, and requesting unusual amounts of writing paper.

On occasions after this, the paper had stayed behind while Kate followed both of them.

***

"Well, I will need advisers," Hal said at one point. "The lot I hang out with in Eastcheap are fun mates for a prince, but they're not fit company for a king."

He could see the open delight on Hotspur's face and had to school his own face so as not to make it obvious that he found Hotspur far too easy to manipulate. Every emotion he had was written all over his face. He'd make a useful knight, Hal thought, but I'll have to keep him out of any negotiation rooms. I'll take Kate Percy for that one.

"What about my wife?" Hotspur asked, right on cue.

As it turned out, the concept of a king living in a relationship that included more than two people was enough of a scandal to distract people from the fact that he'd come by the crown via a rather dubious route. Kate was happy that she'd persuaded Henry not to go to war, but her biggest victory was making him think he'd come up with the idea himself. She was good at that, having had ample practice with Hotspur.

All in all, she thought, life as the secret ruler of England wasn't so bad.


End file.
